Uniondale, South Africa

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Uniondale, South Africa - Wikipedia

Coordinates: 33°39′33″S 23°7′26″E / 33.65917°S 23.12389°E

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Uniondale
Uniondale, Old Dutch Reformed Church from the fort
Uniondale Show map of Western Cape Uniondale Show map of South Africa
Coordinates: 33°39′33″S 23°7′26″E / 33.65917°S 23.12389°E / -33.65917; 23.12389
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
District	Garden Route
Municipality	George
Area ^[1]
• Total	18.90 km² (7.30 sq mi)
Population (2011)^[1]
• Total	4,525
• Density	240/km² (620/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011) ^[1]
• Black African	8.5%
• Coloured	80.9%
• Indian/Asian	0.2%
• White	8.9%
• Other	1.5%
First languages (2011) ^[1]
• Afrikaans	95.1%
• English	1.9%
• Xhosa	1.1%
• Other	1.9%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)	6460
PO box	6460
Area code	044

Uniondale is a small town in the Little Karoo in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. The town was formed in 1856 by the joining of two towns, Hopedale and Lyons.^[2] Its primary claim to fame is the ghost story of the Uniondale hitcher.^[2]^[3] The town is connected by the N9 road to George and the R339 road, down to Knysna.

The Ghost of Uniondale

In stormy weather on Easter weekend of 1968 a young engaged couple had a car accident on the Barandas-Willowmore road around 20 kilometres from the town. The woman, Maria Charlotte Roux, was sleeping in the back seat of their Volkswagen Beetle when her fiancé lost control of the car. The car overturned and she was killed.

The first reported sighting of a ghost matching her description occurred during the Easter weekend of 1976,^[2]^{[failed verification]}^[3] and since then many other sightings have been reported. All involve a female hitchhiker who is given a lift, then disappears a few kilometers down the road, and some have reported car doors opening and closing, laughter and a chill in the air.

This story has many of the basic characteristics of the well-known Vanishing Hitchhiker urban legend, which was described thus by Ernest W. Baughman:

Ghost of young woman asks for ride in automobile, disappears from closed car without the driver's knowledge, after giving him an address to which she wishes to be taken. The driver asks person at the address about the rider, finds she has been dead for some time. (Often the driver finds that the ghost has made similar attempts to return, usually on the anniversary of death in automobile accident. Often, too, the ghost leaves some item such as a scarf or traveling bag in the car.)[^[4]]

Famous Residents

Dalene Matthee, author of Fiela se kind, lived in Uniondale from 1971 – 1978, when her husband was the bank manager.^[5] A few of the film locations for Fiela se kind, were also in the town.^[6]

Boer War Forts

The town was protected by five forts, four of which are still visible.^[7]

Waterwheel

The town also has the largest water wheel in South Africa.^[8]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Main Place Uniondale". Census 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c Uniondale Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Go24, retrieved 16 June 2007
^ ^a ^b Uniondale, Klein Karoo, SA Venues, retrieved 16 June 2007
^ Baughman, Ernest W. (1966). Type and Motif-Index of the Folktales of England and North America. Indiana University. p. 148
^ "Getting lost in Uniondale". Getaway Magazine. 2011-05-16. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
^ Kotze, Karen (2019-09-19). "Old classic, new twist". False Bay Echo. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
^ https://www.tourismportals.co.za/file/richard_tomlinsons_uniondales_town_guard_forts_of_the_angloboer_war_18991902.pdf
^ "Uniondale Watermill". Uniondale Tourism. Retrieved 2024-11-15.

External links

Media related to Uniondale, Western Cape at Wikimedia Commons

v t e Municipalities and communities of Garden Route District Municipality, Western Cape
District seat: George
Bitou	Harkerville Keurboomstrand Kranshoek Kurland Estate Nature's Valley Plettenberg Bay Wittedrif	Garden Route District within South Africa
George	Avontuur Bergplaas De Vlugt George Haarlem Herold Herolds Bay Hoekwil Pacaltsdorp Touwsranten Twee Rivieren Uniondale Victoria Bay Wilderness Woodville
Hessequa	Albertinia Gouritsmond Groot-Jongensfontein Heidelberg Port Beaufort Puntjie Riversdale Slangrivier Stilbaai Vermaaklikheid Witsand
Kannaland	Amaliënstein Calitzdorp Ladismith Vanwyksdorp Zoar
Knysna	Bracken Hill Brenton-on-Sea Buffelsbaai Farleigh Gouna Karatara Knysna Rheenendal Sedgefield
Mossel Bay	Boggomsbaai Brandwag Danabaai Friemersheim Glentana Great Brak River Hartenbos Herbertsdale Jonkersberg Little Brak River Mossel Bay Ruiterbos Vleesbaai
Oudtshoorn	De Hoop De Rust Dysselsdorp Matjiesrivier Oudtshoorn Schoemanshoek Volmoed

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